'Mr Didcot' played more than 850 games for the Rail waymen, winning the FA Vase and captaining the club to its first journey into Step 3 back in 2009.
Monday's 1-0 win at home to Ware in the Southern Division One Central playoff final, decided by Jamar Smith's first-half penalty, earned a return to that level for the south Oxfordshire outfit.
Quite the triumph for Heapy, establishing himself as Didcot's standard bearer in the dugout as well as on the pitch, but it was only possible after his biggest victory - kicking a rare form of cancer into remission.
Diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma in 2021, Heapy underwent an arduous year of chemotherapy that kept him in hospital for months at a time, during which he considered vacating the Loop Meadow hotseat but the help of his trusted assistants made all the difference, making this season's success the sweetest imaginable.
"When you are sitting there it puts things in perspective," Heapy told The NLP. It was tough but you have two choices - what do you do, give up or fight? "I was in hospital for many months and Craig Adey and Paul Bedwell, my assistants, stepped up to look after things.
Denne historien er fra May 07, 2023-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
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Denne historien er fra May 07, 2023-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
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SHAKERS REVEL IN MAKING HISTORY
DAVE McNabb says Bury's FA Cup heroes are proud to be writing their own chapters in club history.
WILCOX: WE FEEL COMPLETE WITH WIN
RUSS WILCOX'S verdict after watching his Gainsborough Trinity side outmuscle and outplay their hosts was that it was \"probably our most complete performance\".
CRACKER BY KABIA TOPPLES TUDORS!
ASSISTANT boss Stewart Yetton said his Truro City side were good value for their win over table-toppers Hemel Hempstead Town.
BRAKES PUT STOP ON BORO BATTLERS
SEPARATED only by goal difference before kick-off, these sides remain neck and neck in the embryonic table after playing out 90 minutes in the October sunshine that was a great advert for the division.
BOSS COTT'S GOT A REALLY GOOD THING WITH ROVERS
STEVE Cotterill hailed Forest Green Rovers’ first class performance as they produced a spirited comeback to topple fellow high-flyers Eastleigh at the Silverlake Stadium.
SKIPS STEER HEED'S SHIP
GATESHEAD captains of the past and present are playing a lead role in helping the National League club move on from the departure of FA Trophy-winning manager Rob Elliot.
FA CUP PREVIEW: SWEET! 'DREAM' DRAW IS CHANCE OF OUR LIFETIME
DAVE NORTHFIELD says minnows Biggleswade FC were like 'kids in a sweet shop' when they drew out York City in what he describes as the 'draw of a lifetime'.
PARKER'S HEART IS STILL AT HOME
FORMER England right-back Paul Parker has revealed he would never completely rule out a return to management – but says he would only do so for one of his beloved local clubs.
LOCALS RALLY TO REBUILD BRIDGE
WHEN committee members at Bamber Bridge set out to raise £30,000 to protect the club's future, they were apprehensive about the response they'd get.
RUTHLESS BEES FIND THEIR FEET
ASTERLING second-half performance resulted in league leaders Barnet brushing aside a Boston United outfit that led at the interval through Keaton Ward’s early strike.
